Gas-producer.



C. 0. NORDENSSONI GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. I9I6.

1,203,246. Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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C. 0. NORDENSSON.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLwATloN FILED FEB. 25. 191s.

Y1,203,246, Patented 001. 31,1916,

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CARL OSCAR NORDENSSON, F SPRINGFIELD, 'OI-IIC), .AS-SIGICI'OR` T0 GRACE A. .Y

SOUTHWELL, TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

GAS-PRODUCER.

Original application filed May 2, 1912, Serial No. 694,619.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Continuation of renewed application filed September 28, 1914, Serial No.V 864,000. Y This application led February 25, 1916. Serial No; 80,374.

` To @ZZ aniram t may concern Be it known thatl, CARL O. NonDnNssoN, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gas producers, and refers more particularly to that type of producers known as the down-draft suction producers, although certain of the features of my invention may be applied to other types of producers.

Among the objects of the invention is to simplify the construction of the producers whereby the same may be largely made of readily obtainable commercial materials and requiring but few and simple patterns, drawings and specifications, and which may be shipped knocked down in small compass and readily set up in the field.

A further object of the invention isr to provide an improved producer in which one continuous fuel bed therein has two distinct down-draft zones, in the upper one vof which the hydrocarbons are distilled from the fuel and the fuel is converted into coke, and in the lower one of which the coke, together with the hydrocarbon constituents from the zone above are gasified, thereby securing complete gasification of the fuel and preventing the escape of anyV tar and 4lamp black from the gas, so asfto thereby produce a maximum amount of tar-free, fixed gas from bituminous and other so-called low grade fuels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of vaporizers so arranged as to simplify the conduction of the mixed` air and vapor from the vaporizers to the fuel bed, and also constructed and arranged so as to, in a very simple manner, conduct the mixture of air and vapor to two distinct Zones of the continuous fuel bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means, in a down-draft producer, for preheating the air on its way to the vaporizers, or at the points where the air is miXed with the steam or vapor, rand to provide a novel arrangement and construction of the fuel defiector and air `preheater, which also forms in the ash 'beda gas collecting chamber through which a uniform draft is produced downwardly throughout the fuel bed.

Other objectsof the invention are to improve and simplify gas producers of the type shown, and theinvention consists in the arrangementand construction of the parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gas producer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionY on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal .section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

AS shown in the drawings, 10 designates the main body or shell of the producer which is supported on beams 11 that are supported on concrete walls 12, 12 of the water-seal ash pan 14. The said girders have deep flanges 15 which dip into the body of water in the water-seal ash pan, and said flanged girders are connected by flanged distance plates 16 which, together with said fianged gir-ders, constitute the lower or sealing edge of the shell and the lowermost vpart of the ash chamber. rIlle shell is lined with the usual fire brick or other insulating lining 17, and is closed at its upper end by the top plate 18k which is provided with one or more charging open ings 19 closed by a door or doors 19. The said girders bound the ash discharge opening of the generating chamber ork shaft which is shown as made of substantially .the diameter of the lower end yof the shaft to afford free clearance or discharge of the ashes from the generating chamber to the ash pan below. The shell or body of the producer is herein shown and preferably is made rectangular in cross section. This arrangement is preferred inasmuch as it permits the shell to be made up of commercial or stock sheet metal plates and angles.

p which may be shipped from the factory in compact space and readily set up in the field.

designates a hollow, cast-metal'fuel de- Yflector whichris located within the lower part of the shell, it being made of general inverted V-shape in cross section. Said delower wall 23 of the deflector is curved upwardly to form at the base of the deflector a chamber 24 which is separate from the chamber 25 that is inclosed by the walls of the defiector. The said chamber 25 constitutes a preheating chamber for the incoming air which is admitted to said preheating chamber through the air inlet opening 26. The air after vpassing' vthrough vsaid chamber is conducted through a pipe 27, arranged at the side of the shell, as herein shown, and is connected at its lower end with said preheating chamber and is formed at its upper end to provide branches 29, 29 which open downwardly through 'suitable openings in the top plate 18 in Aupper portions of the vaporizer tanks 30, 30 located in the shell.

The vaporizer tanks, two of which are herein shown, are located at opposite sides of the generating chamber. Said vaporizer tanks are deep and extend from the top plate 1S of the shell to a point approximately midway its height. They extend entirely across the generating chamber and are attached to two opposite walls thereof, asby means of rivets extending through the flanges at the side edges of said tanks. The vaporizer tanks are provided at their inner, lower sides with inwardly directed hollow ledges 32, 32 which support the fire brick lining 17.

linings 33, that protect the inner walls of the vaporizer tanks from the heat of the generating chamber. The linings 17 of the shell in rear of said vaporizer tanks are cut away to forin vertical air and vapor passages Sel which extend from the upper to the lowerv sides of the vaporizer tanks and open into the generating chamber through inwardly directed passages formed between the lower sides of the tanks and overhanging deiiecting ledges 36 which extend inwardly from the lire brick or insulating Y The secondary passages enter the fuel bed, therefore, at a zone a substantial distance below its upper surface.

The vaporizer tanks are enlarged at their upper sides at 38 and it is into said enlarged upper sides of these tanks that the branches and extends entirelyV 29 of the air inlet pipe enter. The inner walls of the upper sides of the tanks are provided with openings l0 which afford communication between the upper sides ofthe tanks and the top of said generatingv chamber; andV saidwalls are provided above said openings 40 with shields all to prevent the coal falling into said vaporizer tanks when the generating chamber is being charged- The said openings 40 are controlled by slidizer tanks'to the generating chamber.

In connection with the air and vapor pas'- sages 34 before referredto.l 4in rear of the vaporizer tanks, I provide Vthe rear walls of these tanks at theinupper sides with outlet openings 47 which afford communication be* tween said tanks and said passages, and said outlet openings are controlled f by ported valves i8 which are slidably mounted between said walls and the ported guide .plates 49, and extend through the shell. for connec-v tion to suitable valve actuating mechanism.-

Water is supplied vto the vaporizer tanks `to prevent escape of water from Vthe vaporice y through a pipe 50 which is adapted to rcceive water from any suitable source, and said pipe is provided with branches el which extend through the lower vpart of the'producer shell and enter the lower sides of the Vaporizer tanks. The said water supply pipe 50 is connected at 53, at the level at which the water is to be maintained inthe. vaporizer tanks, with anadjustable overflow pipe which discharges Coldwater into the ash pit, as indicated in Figs. l and 2.

55 designates the gas outlet or exit pipe which Vleads through the shell of the producer from the chamberV 2% at the base of the combined fuel deflector and air preheater, this pipe being adapted to be connected with a suitable suction or draft inducting device. When the gas is to be used for power purposes in an internal combustion engine, it is passed from said exit pipe through a suitable cleaning and cooling apparatus. VWhen the producer is of considerable length I may Yprovide two of such gas exit pipes, which may be connected or brought together' Vbefore discharging into the gas cleaning and cooling apparatus, The lower edges of the hollow deflector are located in all parts thereof substantially equal distances from the wall of the producer shell, or the lining thereof so as to produce between said lower edge and said wall what is in eect, a nozzle of uniform cross section through which the gases pass from the fuel bed about said edges to the exit opening, so as to thereby effect a down draft uniformly throughout the cross sectional area of the bed.

5G (Fig. 2) designates an outlet pipe leading from' the upper end of the generating chamber through which the products of combustion may pass when the generator is dormant. This pipe is provided with any suitable form of damper 57 to close the same after the operation of the producer is started.

In the operation of the producer, after combustion has been started in the generating chamber and said chamber has been charged with fuel and the pipe 56 closed, the suction produced at the pipe 55 causes a circulation of the air from the inlet 26, through the preheating chamber 25, thence through the pipes 27 and 29 to the upper parts of the vaporizer tanks. At this point the air is mixed with the steam or vapor, and the mixed air and vapor passes from the upper ends of the vaporizer tanks downwardly through the fuel bed, and also through the passages 34 into the fuel bed at a lower Zone. The air in its passage through the preheating chamber is raised to a suitable temperature so as to thereby increase its capacity to absorb vapor, and to reduce its cooling effect on the fuel bed. It will, of course, be understood that the air pipes 27 and 29 will be suitably insulated to prevent heat losses. The mixture of air and vapor is therefore delivered to a continuous fuel bed at two distinct down-draft zones. In the upper zone of the fuel bed the fuel is distilled to drive off the hydrocarbons and to convert the fuel, when employing coal, into colte. The coke is subjected'at the lower or secondary down-draft Zone to a fresh supply of air and vapor, which has the effect to consume the coke and convert the gases thereof and the tar and other hydrocarbon gases which come downfrom the upper zone into a fixed gas. The construction and arrangement of the means shown whereby two distinct down-draft Zones are applied to a continuous fuel bed may be employed in connection with producers having other forms of cross section than that herein shown, as, for instance, circular cross section; and in such latter modicationthe arrangement of the Vaporizer tanks will be varied accordingly. The vapor introduced with the air or combustion supporting agent at the intermediate zone of the fuel bed has the effect to suitably cool the fuel and prevent the formation of clinlrers. Then employing fuels not liable to clinler formation,

the vapor may be omitted from the air supply at the lower or intermediate zone. When the fuel reaches the ash line which is maintained at or about the dotted line position a, shown in Fig. 3,the fuel has been completely gasified. The lower part of the' fuel bed and the ashes are deflected by the inverted V- shaped deflector 20, so that said lower part of the fuel bed and the ash bed are divided and pass downwardly in two legs of equal dimensions. This arrangement insuresl a uniform distribution of the air and vapor through the entire fuel bed. This result is best attained by placing the defiectcr con'- trally within a generating chamber of rectangular cross section; although the advantage of the elongated combined preheater and fuel deflector will manifest itself to a very satisfactory extent when used in a producer shell of circular cross section. The ashes fall into the water-seal pan and are removed from below the walls l5 and 16 of the waterseal. As the body of the ashes falls into the spaces below the base of the deflector it assumes at its upper side, below the defiector, f

the general V-shaped contour indicated in Fig. 3, which provides in the ash bed a space in communication with, and in enlargement of, the gas collecting space 24 beneath said deflector and outwardly through which the gas passes from the producer shell. rlhe gas produced in the generating zone above lilters through this ash wall of said gas space and is thereby to an extent cleaned and cooled,

and passes from said space through the gas outlet pipe.

The shell is provided near its lower end with sight-openings 60, normally closed by the plugs 61, through which the ash line may be observed while the ashes are being removed from the ash pit or pan below, the ash line being maintained at or near the level of the sight-openings. I The shell will also be desirably provided in its walls between which the deflector extends with openings 62 through which a poker may be inserted to stir the fuel bed and to prevent the accumulation of clinlrers on the sides of the deflector. The upper part of the fuel bed,

in a down-draft suction producer, may be 1 f stirred by a poker inserted through the charging opening 19.

The producer shown having a shell of rec* tangular cross section, may be made of any length desired, while employing stock or commercial materials for its construction. l/Vhen the producer shell, of rectangular cross section is made of considerable length the cast iron defiector 20 may be made in sections and suitably joined, and intermediate girders 1l may be employed between thc end girders shown. When the shell is of other cross section 15 the cross section of the deflector may be correspondingly varied.

Other variations in the structural design Eao or details may be made without departure from the spirit of the invention and the invention is not limited to such details except as herein made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention l. A down draft gas producer comprising a shell inclosing a combustion or generating chamber to contain a fuel bed, and having a sealed ash discharge opening at its lower end, with passages opening into at least two opposite sides of the chamber through which a combustion supporting agent is supplied to the fuel bed equally throughout its cross section, an upwardly tapered fuel deilector at the bottom of said chamber, with its lower, wider portion arranged at or below the ash zone of said chamber, and disposed centrally with respect to the ash discharge opening, and with its apex located below the level of the supply of combustion supporting agent, and means for conducting the gases from the fuel bed past the lower edges of the deflector and out of the shell, whereby is produced a substantially uniform down draft throughout the cross sectional area of the fuel bed.

A down draft gas producer comprising a shell adapted to contain a continuous fuel bed, with means for supplying a combustion supporting agent to the top of the fuel bed and also at a lower zone thereof, an upwardly tapered fuel defiector at the bottom of said shell, with its lower wider portion extending to or below the ash Zone of the producer chamber and with its apex located at or below the lower zone of combustion supporting agent supply, the lower wider portion of the deflector being made hollow, and a gas outlet pipe communicating therewith between the lower edges of the deflector through which gas is drawn from the fuel bed uniformly around all parts of the lower edges of the deflector.

8. In a gas producer, having a continuous fuel bed, a vaporizer within the generating chamber with meansV for introducing air thereto, means for directing mixture of air and vapor from the top of the vaporizer to the upper part of the bed and means for directing mixture of vapor and air from the top of the vaporizer past the lower end thereof to an intermediate part of the fuel bed.

4f. In a down draft gas producer, having a continuous fuel bed, a vaporizer within the generating chamber with means for introducing air thereto, and means for directing the mixture of air and vapor from said vaporizer to two vertically separated Zones of the fuel bed, combined with an inverted V-shaped fuel deflector at the 'bottom of said chamber, and a gas exit `pipe below the de Hector for producing uniform down draft throughout the cross sectional area of the fuel bed and directing the gases around all parts of the lower edge of the defiector to said exit pipe.

5. In a down draft gas producer, a generating chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber having means for delivering air thereto, and passages within said chamber leading from said vaporizer, one opening into the chamber above the fuel bed and the other discharging into a lower zone of the fuel bed.

G. In a gas producer, a generating chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber with means to introduce air to the upper side thereof, and arranged to provide between the same and the chamber wall a passage which opens into the fuel bed below the vaporizer and communicating passages between the upper side of the vaporizer and said chamber and between said vaporizer and the upper end of said passage.

7. In a gas producer, a generating chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber with means to Vintroduce air to the upper side thereof, and arranged to provide between the same and the chamber wall a passage which opens into the fuel bed below the vaporizer, communicating passages between the upper side of the vaporizerand said chamber and between said vaporizer and the upper end of said passage and an insulating lining supported on said vaporizer to protect the inner wall thereof.

8. In a gas producer, a generating cham ber, a vaporizer within the chamber with means to introduce air to the upper side thereof, and arranged to provide between the same and the chamber wall, a passage which opens into the fuel bed below the vaporizer and valve controlled passages between the upper side of said vaporizer and chamber and between said vaporizer and said passage.

9. In a gas producer, a generating chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber having means for delivering air thereto, and passages within said chamber leading from said vaporizer, one opening into the chamber above the fuel bed and the other discharging into a lower zone of the fuel bed combined with an inverted V-shaped fuel de flector at the bottom of said chamber, with a gas outlet at said deflector.

l0. In a gas producer having a continuous fuel bed, a generating chamber of rectangular cross section, oppositely disposed vaporizers within the chamber arranged to form between the same and the chamber walls passages which open Vinto an intermediate portion of the fuel bed between the vaporiZers, means for delivering air to the upper side of the vaporizers and means whereby air and vapor are delivered from the vaporizers directly to said chamber above the fuel Y fuel bed, a generating chamber of rectangular cross section, oppositely disposed vaporizers within the chamber arranged to form between the same and the chamber walls passages which open into an intermediate portion of the fuel bed between the vaporizers, means for delivering air to the upper side of the vaporizers and means whereby air and vapor are delivered from the vaporizers directly to said chamber above the fuel bed and into the upper end of said passage, combined with a fuel deflector at the lower part of said chamber.

12. 1n a down draft producer, a combined fuel deflector and air preheating chamber at the lower part of the generating chamber thereof, provided with an air inlet, a vaporizer within the generating chamber, a pipe connecting the preheating chamber with said vaporizer and communications between said vaporizer and said generating chamber.

13. ln a down-draft gas producer, a combined fuel deflector and air preheating chamber at the lower part of the generating chamber thereof, provided with an air inlet, a. vaporizer within said chamber communicating directly with the chamber above the fuel bed and communicating with passage which opens into a lower Zone of the fuel bed and a pipe connecting said preheating chamber with said vaporizer.

14. In a down draft gas producer, a fuel and ash deflector at the lower part of the generating chamber arranged to form in the ash bed below the deflector a gas collecting chamber, a gas exit leading from said collecting chamber and means for supplying all the air to the fuel bed in the chamber at a zone wholly above the deector.

15. In a down draft gas producer, a combined fuel and ash deflector and preheating chamber, communications between the preheating chamber and the generating chamber, said deflector being arranged to form in the ash bed beneath the deflector a gas collecting chamber, a gas outlet pipe leading from said collecting chamber and an air inlet opening to the fuel bed in said chamber at a Zone wholly above the deflector.V

16. A down draft producer comprising a shell inclosing a combustion or generating chamber having at its lower end a sealed ash discharge opening of substantially the diameter of the lower end of said chamber,

and an upwardly tapered fuel deiiector at the bottom of said chamber and centrally disposed with respect to the walls of the generating chamber and said ash discharge opening, the lower wider, portion of which is arranged at said ash discharge opening below the ash Zone and means for supplying a combustion supporting agent to the said combustion or generating chamber above the level of the apex of said deflector.

17. in a gas producer, a generating chamber, a vaporizer within the chamber with means to introduce air to the upper side thereof, and arranged to provide between the same and the chamber wall a passage which opens into the fuel bed intermediate the upper and lower sides thereof, means for establishing communication between the upper side of the vaporizer and the said passage and a deflecting lip at the lower end of said passage.

1S. A down draft gas producer comprising a shell inclosing a combustion or generating chamber to contain a fuel bed, and having a sealed ash discharge opening at its lower end, with passages opening into at least two opposite sides of the chamber through which a combustion supporting agent is supplied to the fuel bed equally throughout its cross section, an upwardly tapered fuel defiector at the bottom of said chamber, with its lower wider portion arranged at or below the ash zone of said chamber, and disposed centrally with respect to the ash discharge opening, and with its apex located below the level of the supply of combustion supporting agent, means for conducting the gases from the fuel bed past the lower edges of the deiiector and out of the shell, whereby is produced a substantially uniform down draft throughout the cross sectional area of the fuel bed, said deiiector being provided with an air preheat- -ing chamber with means for directing air thereto, and means for conducting preheated air therefrom to the fuel bed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 7th day of September, A. D. 1915.

CARL OSCAR NORDENSSON.

/Vitnesses:

W. L. HALL,

Gr. A. SOUTHWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

